The Rift Between Worlds
by Ganondora
Summary: In a Hyrule where Ganondorf has not yet faced his final battle with Link, the King of Evil discovers a rift to an alternate version of his own reality, and he is troubled by what he finds.


He stood like a giant on the balcony extending from the throne room. He was surrounded by the gray clouds of an oncoming storm, made ever more magnificent from the glow of the lava moat below. He lifted his right fist into the air and the top triangle of the Triforce began to emanate a golden light. At first he admired it, but a minute later he snarled and pulled his fist back to his side. One day it would all be his.

It had been over seven years since the invasion of the Sacred Realm. The only threat to his reign, once locked inside the very realm he corrupted, had returned. The hero was awakening the sages to help fight against him. The last he heard was the Spirit Temple had been infiltrated and the Spirit sage, Nabooru of all people, awakened to her true destiny. Once, she had served him faithfully, acting as a healer and a sorceress almost equal to his power. In the end, she had been nothing but a traitor. To top it all off, the princess was still missing even after searching for seven years.

While these troubles frustrated him beyond all reason, he was bored of waiting around for something to happen. He had already mapped out his plan for the future once Link was dead. The Triforce of power had made the corruption of Hyrule a simple task, but the full power of the Triforce was needed for the entire world to feel his evil. In the meantime he had renovated Hyrule castle to meet his desires. It was fortified with stronger stone walls and sharp spikes that made it impossible to climb. Since the completion, he split his day between training in swordsmanship and sorcery. He would be ready for the day the hero finally came to challenge him.

Calm once again, he pivoted toward the doorway on his right and exited the throne room. His intention was to travel three floors down to the training room, but he was stopped by a Gerudo guard. She bowed at her waist with her legs stiff. "My Lord, I have something to report."

For a moment, he was excited to think a scout had spotted Link's approach. But he disguised it and said, "Do I look like a patient man to you?"

"My deepest apologies. Straight to the point then. A strange portal has appeared in the Lost Woods. I've left two keese there to guard it until your arrival," She explained.

A portal? To where, he wonder. Was it relevant? Did the portal lead to somewhere new and undiscovered? He needed to know. "Take me there immediately."

"Yes, My Lord."

He turned back to the carpet covered staircase and followed the guard outside. Once in town, they mounted steeds and quickly departed for the crossed the repaired bridge to thecloud covered field and travelled north a ways to the back entrance to the Lost Woods. They avoided the Kokiri people that returned after Link defeated the monsters in the temple. In the shadows of the woods there was a chill that had him reaching for his brought their horses to a halt many meters before the portal. The keese were squawking noisily at it, as if it would attack at any moment. When he saw it his eyes filled with excitement.

The portal looked like a narrow tear in the environment, but whatever lay within was obscured. He had heard of something like it before from the witches who raised him. "This is a dimensional rift."

"You mean there'sanother world through there?" The guard asked.

He looked at her with a sneer. Was it really possible that he was born of the same race, but with an intelligence that doubled theirs collectively? "Yes. That's _precisely_ what a dimensional rift is. It's a rift to another dimension." But he saw it for more than that. If he could successfully pass through the rift he would have an alternate version of Hyrule to conquer and brand new people to bend to his will. He could grow his army and successfully fight off the sages and the hero with ease. "Who will be my first volunteer?"

The keese flitted around above him making angry squeals. "No. You," He pointed at the guard, "step through the portal and report _everything_ that you see."

The woman was about to protest but thought better of it. After a minute to prepare herself, while receiving glares of anger from her kin, she placed her hand through the portal and immediately pulled it back. It was still there. She never noticed her king step up behind her and shove her through the rift.

The few minutes he had to wait was made almost unbearable by his anxiousness. When the woman finally returned, he wanted to interrogate her, but he knew there was no need to. He thought he might as well have gone himself, but he would never put himself in such danger. "Tell me everything," He ordered, trying to remain composed.

"The sky was filled with shimmering lights like ours at night. It was the woods, just like we have here. I did not see any people," She explained. "It was warm though. I could see a castle like yours in the distance," She explained excitedly..

"I will invade this new land and make it bow to me, the King of Evil. There is no one who can resist," He exclaimed. Then to the Gerudo he ordered, "Ready twenty soldiers to depart immediately. I want the rest on standby. I will send a messenger through when I am ready."

"Yes, my lord," She bowed respectfully. She turned to her horse and returned to Hyrule Castle to complete his request.

An hour later his soldiers were with him, rallying for a fight. He had to remind them of his worst fear. "We should expect to begin a war. Be prepared for anything! No matter what you do, you still do it in the name of the King of Evil!" He turned from their excited shouts and faced the rift. It was too small for him to fit. He placed his hands in the opening and with all his might tore it farther and wider. He made sure his seven foot mass could easily step through. He had already assumed the horses would be too frightened. They walked through the portal with the reigns in hand.

The air was warm that summer night. The stars shimmered like diamonds in the sky. She walked onto her balcony from the master bedroom and wrapped her arms around herself. It was a night that made her long for a man to be with her. She could have had any man she wanted, but they were all weak, foolish, and unimportant. None of them were like _he_ had been. Although he had never said he felt the same way, in her mind she knew it. She had been there when the Hero of Time had struck him down. She took control of his army and put the full force of it against the Hero of Time's home to extract her revenge. Everyone in the Mysterious woods, then called the Kokiri Forest, was eliminated. The hero was no more. She became the Queen of Hyrule. She was the most important person in her world and not a single suitor had deserved to become her King.

Her room was the highest in the tower that protruded from the castle's base far below. Any breeze was intensified at her height. She loved the way the wind blew her waist long crimson hair off her back. It was a feeling she enjoyed no matter how many times it happened.

The moment of peace was interrupted by a panicked knock on her door. It was late and most of her servants were sleeping. When the voice of her personal servant called for her she tightened the thin lace robe around her naked body and opened the door just a crack. She did not permit any entry. "Why aren't you asleep?" She asked irritably.

"My apologies, my lady. One of your scouts returned with an urgent message," The woman explained.

"What message could be so urgent that it could not wait until morning?" She snapped. There was a flicker of hope. Maybe a strong man wanted to reach out to her. Sometimes she wished so intensely that she dreamed it had come true, only to wake up and be disappointed by reality. It had been over five years since she defeated the hero. She had won by infusing them, their armor, and their weapons with her magic. The other warlords, kings, and queens had fallen violently at her hand. Sometimes she regretted taking them all out. Maybe one of them would have made a fine King.

The servant turned from the door and looked away, probably to the scout. When she turned back she said, "It comes from an area near the Mysterious Woods. Some type of rip in the realm. While he was watching it a woman appeared from it, completely unharmed, and then went back through."

It could not have been a man? She opened the door farther and looked at the scout while concealing the rest of her body behind the door. "What did she look like?"

"Dark-skinned, red hair, very Gerudo-like. She looked frightened, Most likely not warrior trained," He stated.

"She was probably investigating and reporting. Do you think there is a threat?"

"There is too little information to come to an accurate conclusion, my lady," The scout explained from the hallway.

She never backed down from a fight, even if there was a possibility of one not happening. "I couldn't sleep anyway. Let's check it out to be sure. I could use some excitement. Get me twenty soldiers immediately. We leave when I'm ready." She closed the door to prepare herself. It was not heavy armor she donned, but greaves, shoulders, and leg bracers, with her usual red cloth wrapped over her breasts and her red silk pants. All of her armor was gold for the rich look, but fused with steel so she was well protected. She armed herself with her sword. It was straight until the very tip where it curved to a point to one side. She tied its red and gold sheath around her waist with the strap. After a few swings she placed the weapon in its home. Finally, she wrapped her black cloak around her. The creation of the gold insignia on it was a warm memory. His had been the three triangles of power. Hers was the same, but the triangle balanced atop the others was made larger to promote its dominance.

There were many flights of stairs to descend before she reached the ground. At times she disliked the amount of stairs, but exterior beauty, and the view from the master bedroom,was worth it. The round base of the castle completely encircled and protected the tower of stone that jutted into the sky. It was not the original, but she had rebuilt it to suit her purposes.

Her soldiers were mounted on their horses in town and awaiting her arrival. She mounted her horse and shouted, "Let's go!" The scout that discovered the portal was the first to take off and she was close behind.

Upon arrival, they found a group of soldiers coming through the green portal, wide open like the mouth of a monster, led by a man with his features shrouded by a redhooded-cloak. He was a large man and he rode a large black stallion. With him were approximately twenty soldiers, some male, some female, and some monsters that looked familiar. It was a dimensional rift so there was bound to be some similarities. But what world did they come from? A rift was something made up in legends, yet there was one before her. The sound of her sword sliding smoothly from its sheath was music to her ears. It had been a long time since she picked up a weapon for anything more than practice. Normally, she would have immediately attacked the offender, but this situation was different. "Who dares intrude on _my_ world?"

He passed through the cool aura of the rift. On the other side he found himself outside a forest, recognizable as the Kokiri Forest. What was he doing in such a damned place? Was it still Hyrule, just a little different? Before him was a woman, beautiful to be sure, atop a brown horse. He narrowed his eyes though and gripped the reins of his horse until his knuckles changed color. Could it really be? Nabooru, leading _his_ army?Dog-faced moblins, skeleton warriors, the women of his race were staring back at him. He was intrigued by these turn of events. He had his doubts about Nabooru's place in this new Hyrule. "I would speak with the leader of this realm."

She moved her horse forward ahead of the group and glared. "I am Queen here! Speak your purpose or my forces will decimate you and your weak army!" Her voice reflected the power and authority she held. It was her world and she would not allow anyone to take it from her. So far, she could piece together that these warriors were different versions of her own, including the women of the desert tribe.

The man cackled. "You? You are the ruler here? Tell me, before I destroy you and your pitiful militia, what is the name of this world, and I might as well know the name of the woman I murder."

The laugh sent chills down her spine. She continued her bravado, but her core was shaken. "Ha! I will tell you so that you know the name of your murderer. You are in _my_Hyrule and _my_ name is Ganondora. Bow before me or face your fate."

She was joking, right? This woman looked and sounded the same as Nabooru, but there were many differences, including the fact she was the Queen of Hyrule. He laughed again, this time much more cruelly. His anger at it being her Hyrule was replaced by amusement. No matter, as she was about to die anyway. He would not allow some silly girl to stand in his way of dominating this new land. "My name is Ganondorf, and this is now _my_Hyrule." He raised his hand in the air and his dark energy sword appeared in his fist. He threw his head back and the hood of the cloak fell. He shouted. "Attack!" The order was loud and clear. His forces lunged forward viciously.

Her entire body was frozen with shock. He was alive? Of course he was. She had to think clearly. It was a different realm, one in which he had obviously beaten the hero, or maybe he had not faced him yet. His face was exactly as she remembered it, from his eyes, to his hair, to his cheeks and chin. It was not the time to dwell on her feelings. Her world was being threatened and he needed to be stopped. "Don't stand there like idiots! Attack! Defend your land and your Lady!" She did not close her eyes, but she sheathed her weapon and placed her hands together at their palms. A purple aura emanated from her and she enveloped her warriors with her energy. She did not control them, but they fed off of her power. Their attacks were driven with twice their usual force. They were twice as fast. Because the minions they fought against were upgraded, it only meant they were evenly matched.

For ten minutes the battle raged on. He sat on his horse, watching the battle. He felt the power level of his army's opponents spike as the woman who called herself Ganondora continued her incantation. Wounds were even healed as they were delivered. This was a great power, and there was no question about its the moment, it was hindering his success. The eyes she had on him were somewhere between focused and confused. In one of the moments she looked away, he raised his hand to the sky and called upon the dark powers, his black magic. He fired it, like an electric bolt, at her, but it met with a force field. He dug for more power, and the shield that protected her gave way.

She screamed when the dark energy struck her. It felt like it was eating away at not only her flesh but also her soul. It kept coming as a constant and steady blast, until she was able to fight through the pain and rip on the reigns. The horse jerked to the side and out of the way of the blast. In the time she had been distracted, three of her soldiers had fallen. "Retreat!" She shouted over the metal on metal sounds of the battle. Some of them were confused. It was a word she had never used before. She had to repeat withdrew immediately and ran like rats. She turned her horse and ran ahead of them. It severely damaged her pride to turn tail and run, but her power was no match for his. It was impossible to tell if only the Triforce of Power was within him, or if he had the help of the entire Triforce. If the latter was true, nothing would be able to defeat him.

He chuckled as she gave the order to retreat, like the coward he knew she was. His laughter was cut short as his eye caught the symbol on her back. It was the Triforce, like his, with the piece of Power larger than that of Courage and Wisdom. Maybe he had misjudged the woman's alliance. More information was required before his next attack. Why was this woman in charge? What if she was secretly loyal to the Hylian royal family? Did he even exist in this dimension? What about that boy, Link? It was necessary information to know before he stormed the castle and the only way to retrieve it was to go directly to the source. He turned to the servant beside him and ordered her to return to their realm to bring one-hundred more soldiers, a tiny fraction of his entire army.

Ganondora arrived hastily at the stables in the town of Hyrule. The thought that Ganondorf was alive was sensational, but the realization that he had no idea who she was or how deep her devotion ran was heartbreaking. The casualties had been minions and were incredibly disposable. As soon as she dismounted her horse, the Gerudo women were at her throat.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"He's alive!"

"He'll kill us if he knows we've been serving you. He'll think of us as traitors!"

Ganondora snatched the last woman by the arm that restrained her and twisted it until it was nearly broken. "Do not threaten me, wench! He is not the same Ganondorf that died here in this Hyrule. He has his own loyal soldiers from his own realm! Your Ganondorf is gone. If you don't learn to accept that fact I will send you to the grave with him!" The woman cowered and whimpered. She released the hold she had on the servant's arm and continued. "It may be difficult to believe, but I have. This is my Hyrule and I will defend it as such. Now, you may not know much about alternate realms, but here is a crash course. You and I may or may not exist in that world. If we do we are not the same as we are here. The same may apply to him, but there are some instances where some people are the same."

"He looks and acts exactly the same." The woman whined.

"And what if he has the complete power of the Triforce? What if he cares not for your allegiance and strikes you down mercilessly? He is not to be underestimated!" She shouted, trying to hide her fear. She was about to lose everything she had fought for, and to an alternate version of a man she had obsessed over for years. Huffing, she turned from her warriors and hurried to the castle. Fortunately, it was still a few hours before dawn. She crawled into bed and used those few hours to catch up on sleep.

Once reinforcements arrived, made of Gerudo and minions, they set up a temporary base made out of canvas tents. It took only two hours to complete and only then didGanondorf decide to make his next carefully calculated move. As he emerged from the forest, the field was exactly like it had been at home, except the grass was thriving. The sky was bright now, as night had turned to day. He hoped his adversary had been able to rest peacefully. She would need it for the interrogation.

Her dreams came as violent realities of her fears. Her army was decimated. Her abilities were nothing compared to his. She was forced to choose between death or forfeiting control of Hyrule to him. When she woke it felt as though her sleep had lasted for a very long time but her mind was still just as weary. Quickly, she put on the armor from earlier that morning, and rushed out of her room. Just as she made it to the last stair, one of the beasts from the field approached her. "My lady, Ganondorf is approaching. Has he been revived?" The beast spoke excitedly.

She did not answer, but instead she warned, "Do not fear him but be prepared. Tell the archers and bombers to be ready to strike on my signal." As she made her way to the exit her servant begged her not to go. She looked at the woman and said, "Organize my army. Once I am captured, attack their forces in the forests. I know he has underestimated my strength and will not have his full army with him. That would leave his precious Hyrule defenseless and that would be foolish. Pass through the rift. Attack Hyrule Market. I will assist from my prison as best as I can. It will be mine." She gave the order confidently, as if she had spent all night contemplating the best course of action. The servant nodded. After a moment Ganondora added, "Do not kill him."

"Be safe, my lady," She said.

Ganondora nodded and walked outside. Her hand was fidgety on the hilt of her trusted sword. They had seen a lot together, but they were about to face their biggest challenge. Fight? Or submit? Her stubborn nature would not allow submission to come easily.

He approached the castle town quickly on foot. There was no need for a horse. He was powerful enough without it, and he had quite enjoyed the sites on his way in. It was good to survey a land before you dominated it. The walls had been fortified with archer holes and catapults, both of which were currently in use. It was a hint that she was not as foolish as he had originally made her out to be. She approached with a confident, almost arrogant, stride. Her cloak with the flattering insignia billowed behind her in the wind. Her hair was tame now in a long braid down her back.

They came to a stop about three meters away from each other. Their powers were pressed against each other like two invisible bubbles that could pop at any moment from the pressure.

"What happened to me in this realm? What of the Triforce? Do not resist me," He asked slowly.

She clenched her fist. The vision of his death had never stopped playing in her nightmares. Staring straight in his eyes she said defiantly, "You do not need to know that. You need to leave and go back to your own world." The words coming from her mouth were like a knife she had plunged into herself. Keeping the truth from him felt disobedient, even after all those years. She knew it was the only way to keep him safe.

"You will tell me what is happening here and then you will surrender Hyrule to me, _or else_," He threatened. "I am the King of Evil and none are more powerful than I."

She did not shudder and she did not look away from him. Like always, he wanted more. If he had control of Hyrule in his realm, then he wanted more to conquer. The more you controlled the more power you had and the more enemies you made. With more enemies came more threats and a higher possibility of death. "You will not have my Hyrule!" She yelled in determination and brandished her weapon.

Suddenly, a purple orb appeared around her and she was frozen before she even had a chance to charge. When she tried to move her bones threatened to break. He had not even moved to cast a spell.

"Damn you!" She snarled. And before anything else was said, he made her disappear.

Arrows rained down on Ganondorf and his scouts, but he cast a barrier that protected them. The arrows bounced off of it with a *tick* sound. "Stay and alert me at the first sign of an invasion," He ordered. He would not risk underestimating Ganondora. While maintaining the barrier he turned to go back to camp.

The moment Ganondora reappeared the skeleton warriors were pointing spikes and swords at her threateningly. "Put your weapons down!" She ordered with no results, most likely because they could not hear her. The bubble acted like a stone prison, keeping her limbs could look around though and noticed the tents set up around her. While she was expecting Ganondorf to be ready to invade she did not realize how soon it would be. She half expected his troops to start mobilizing right in front of her. The half an hour she had to wait for him to returnwas torture enough. She could only imagine what was in store.

Ganondorf relished in his accomplishment, even if it was a small one. It was the first step to obtaining the information he wanted soon. He would keep her prisoner in the dungeon, and by removing their leader, her army would be disorganized and fall easily to his might.

When he arrived he walked to the back of the camp, closest to the dimensional rift, and stared at the woman through the purple sphere. There was a wild and angry animal in her eyes that was pleasing to him. How much would it take to make her scream for mercy? "Because you do not want to give me the information I desire willingly, I will break you until you spill even your deepest and darkest secrets." Excited, he moved her with just a thought to the portal. The sphere floated above the ground and no matter how he pushed, it could not pass through. His magical barrier was too strong even for that. So, he turned her around to face him and said, "I am going to release you and you will not struggle."

"Ha!" She mocked, and if she could spit on his boots she would have. She remember that he could not hear her, so she said nothing else.

"Only a fool would try to run with a hundred of my soldiers waiting to rip you apart. You are only alive because of me and I could just as easily kill you myself. Either you cooperate, or you die," He said in a surprisingly calm but arrogant tone.

The only thing she needed to consider was how fantastic it would be to be victim to such a grand display of power. She was not concerned about the pain that awaited her because her power would protect her. "Fine," She grumbled.

At the suddenly complacent look on her face, he snapped his fingers and the barrier disappeared. She landed on her hands and knees. Two soldiers quickly grabbed her arms and ripped the weapon from her hand. She struggled viciously, punching and yelling, as they bound her hands behind her back with chains. He had to admit, her fighting spirit was quite arousing. He could not wait to break it. Her weapon was handed to him along with the end of the chain, like a leash. Her muscles tightened with anger at being handled like an animal. "Is this any way to treat the Queen of Hyrule? You'll never get your answers with this kind of treatment," She hissed.

He ignored her. He stepped through the rift and yanked her through so hard she fell to her knees on the other side. Looking up, she saw storm clouds rolling in every direction. Lightning flashed from one cloud to the next. The field was barren and the walls protecting the village of Hyrule were taller than in her realm. Little moblins walked along the top, carrying swords and bombs and arrows. To add to her terrible situation, it began to rain.

While he led her to his castle she occupied herself with trying, obnoxiously, to maneuver her hood onto her head to protect herself from the pouring rain. Each time she thought she finally had it he would tug just enough to jerk her and make it fall down again. She growled.

The castle was breath taking. Beads of sweat appeared on her foreheadas they crossed the invisible bridge over the lava moat. It was bigger and darker than she remembered, and reeked of evil, but not near as magnificent as hers, she thought. They entered into a great room, lit by ten chandeliers along the ceiling. There were stairs on the left and right ends of the room that led to a grand second floor. Hidden to the side of the main door was a set of crumbling stone stairs that led downward in a spiral.

"Take her to the dungeon and make sure she is provided the highest quality hospitality we have to offer," He said with a smirk. As he handed the chain to a largemoblin, almost as tall as him, she made an attempt to run. Before she even took three steps, Ganondorf snatched the leash and jerked her back roughly toward excess chain magically snaked around her legs, up her torso, and around her arms. She was completely immobilized. The moblin lifted her like a child and carried her into the dungeon. She squirmed the entire way.

The moblin's only purpose was to unravel the chain from around her and shackle her to the wall inside a cell. Her restraints provided her with half of a foot of reach. It was enough to move, but not enough to fight back. The only light provided were two lit torches on either side of her cell, which caused eerie shadows to dance all around her. Her eyes were immediately attached to the torture devices hanging to the wall beside her. She struggled against the chains but it was securely fastened to the rock wall. She would need to escape quickly and it looked like thelocks could easily be picked. Ganondorf was descending the stairs though, not allowing her time to even get comfortable in her chains. She tried to hold on to the contempt, tried to keep the mission in mind, but as he moved close to her and began removing her armor, she lost all sight of her goal. The power that emanated from him weakened even her soul.

He set her weapon on a table at the base of the stairs. He approached her and leaned forward to remove the cloak from her back. Secondly, he unclasped her shoulder guards and the rest of her armor so that she would be completely vulnerable. Her uniform was a modified version of the original Gerudo uniform. Their skin was the same, her hair slightly more red, and her eyes an incredible yellow with a ferocity he had never seen even inNabooru. He turned from her and grabbed a whip off the wall beside where she was shackled. He unraveled it and a dark aura shined from it. "Speak," He demanded and cracked the whip in the air.

She never flinched. Her mind was screaming her healing spell, reaching deep down to her dark energy and bringing it to the surface to protect her from any damage. "I have nothing to say to you." Focusing on repelling damaging helped her to be angry to an all new degree.

He snapped the whip in her direction, but it stopped short of her leg. It was fear that made him lash out but curiosity that made him resist. Did he even dare think it? Could a world exist where he had failed? Impossible. Or did she kill him to control Hyrule? That's what Nabooru would have done. Something deep inside told him there was more going on than he could possible imagine. "Let's start simple, shall we? What part did you play?" This time when he whipped her he did not hold back.

She gritted her teeth together and fought off a cry of pain for a grunt instead. "I will not speak, no matter what you do to me."_I must, to protect you, _she thought. What if Link was still alive? The mark the whip had left in her skin healed over and the pain disappeared in seconds.

He was not afraid to show his interest in her abilities. "Where did you learn your power? Answer me!" He shouted and whipped at her again.

She closed her eyes and this time the strike of the whip was little more than a pinch. Still, she said nothing. The more he pressed her, the more infuriated she became. He had no idea all she had done to protect him in the other realm, and how she hated herself for her failure. He would never understand, there was no need for him to.

He lashed out and gripped her neck. Her eyes popped open and for a brief second they stared into each other's souls. Everything about him was the same to her. To him, nothing was familiar beyond her appearance, but he saw a passion like never before. He squeezed her throat. As he used his energy to suppress hers, she struggled more at the force of his hand clenched around her neck. Then, he slapped her with the full back side of his hand. Her cheek was cut by the detail on his armor, her lip bled, and her ear rang a sour tone. She whimpered pitifully.

"I will ensure that you feel every drop of blood you bleed and everycut I inflict upon you, wench!" He shouted. He put his massive hands on her head and she felt her powers being drained, as if he sucked them right through his fingertips. She struggled internally to fight against it and draw her abilities back, but it was futile. Her powers were drained and she was entirely vulnerable. The instant her energy was drained he shocked her with a jolt of dark energy. The force of it made her hit the wall and her chains rattled as she momentarily lost her balance. His magic was much more powerful in his realm, being under the direct influence of the Triforce and the sacred realm.

Even without any ability, her spirit still survived. "It makes no difference. Pain or not, you will not learn anything from me!"

He tortured her for an hour, using anything from his own power to burning coals to poison needles and experimental potions. Her screams were satisfying for a while, until he realized that nothing he did, short of killing her, would force her to speak. His anger brought him close to ending her pathetic life. Killing her was pointless, he was smart enough to realize. While imprisoned, her army would focus on nothing but rescuing her, making them sloppy. If dead, they would focus on avenging her and taking his kingdom, making them unpredictable. After he had exhausted all of his patience he dragged her weak body by her hair back to the cell and shoved her up against the wall. He lifted her from the floor by her neck. She was burnt raw on her back, lacerations on her legs from the whip bled, and her eyes struggled to focus from the drugs in the needles.

"You are the most stubborn woman that I have ever met. But I will break you. Prepare yourself. I want you refreshed for when I return and I will hold nothing back!" He dropped her and the full weight of her body was forced on her wrists in the shackles. A skeleton warrior entered the dungeon room and saluted him. "What is it now?"

"My Lord, enemy forces are attacking our walls. What is your command?" The warrior asked.

But Ganondorf was not worried about the enemy at his walls because it was his enemy within that had led them there. She managed a smirk before he slapped her again. He had not expected their attack so soon. How could he have been deceived so easily? He turned back to his warrior and they exited the room.

With him gone, she could feel her power slowly returning. Even with a minimal amount of it returning, she began to heal herself. The process was painful, but after several minutes of struggling, it felt like a warm wave of water rushed over her and when it receded so did the pain. Her army was here though, and she needed to focus what little energy she had left on them. She leaned her back against the wall and the cool damp stone soothed the raw skin on her back. It was dangerous to close her eyes, so she stared at the door way across the room and focused on the life force of her soldiers. She hoped that her energy waves could permeate the ground and the walls of the castle and reach her army in time.

The battle suddenly turned, like some unseen force rejuvenated the enemy. Swords practically bounced off their skin, arrows could not penetrate, and in no time they were over and through the wall by any means necessary.

Ganondorf was on the frontline as soon as he could make it, but it was not soon enough. They were rampaging through the market, where very few people still resided, which meant the enemy was one step closer to his castle. He flung orbs of corrupt energy at the soldiers as they came at him in waves. As he was being surrounded a burst of energy blasted from his core, knocking all of his foes back a hundred feet. They would stand right back up and charge again. What was making them so invincible?

He realized they were swinging to wound and not to kill. A dark energy sword appeared in his hand from nowhere. The raw energy easily cut down his opponents. He was a one man army against a thousand minions.

With help, his army was slowly gaining some ground. The enemy was being forced, step-by-step, back to the field. He slaughtered them one-by-one. He knew this army well enough that their weak points were like target practice to him. As if from nowhere,keese flew from overhead, dropping lit bombs near him. He lunged out of the way, but he was still buffeted by pieces of shrapnel.

The explosion triggered an epiphany. As he stood back up he wondered why they would attack him when it endangered their allies. That was when he noticed that all the enemies wounded in the blast were already healed, or had taken no damage at all. It was impossible though. Could her powers really be so magnificent to be assisting them from her cell? He fought his way through the mass of falling bodies and swinging weapons. He suffered several wounds on his legs that made running too difficult. Using a high pitched whistle, he summoned his horse. It sped to him from the stables and he mounted it with difficulty.

She grasped her slim opportunity. After struggling to reach the pin in her hair and slide it in the lock, the shackle popped open easily. After unlocking the rest of her chains and the cell door, she grabbed her armor and sword and ran from the dungeon to fight her way to the throne.

The lay out was slightly different from her own, but was similar to how it had been before, before he was killed. There was little resistance as most of the soldiers were fighting a battle that was merely a distraction. She came across two guards that were easily dispatched. She knocked mini moblins down with a kick to the torso and tore the weapon from its hands. The two armored skeleton warriors guarding the throne room gave her the most trouble.

They were menacing with their glowing yellow eyes inside empty skulls. They stood half of a foot taller than her. They alternated their attacks at her making her efforts to dodge futile. Her size turned out to be to her benefit as she was able to quickly sneak passed them and slash their armor across the back. Their straps broke and their skeleton was fully exposed. With their weaknesses in the open they slashed violently at her. She ran inside the throne room and slammed the door back at them. They were distracted, but ran in moments later and chased her down. She ran to the wall, up it and lunged backward. Before the guards could turn around she smashed her sword into their spines and they shattered.

He arrived at the front of his castle and entered it as quickly as possible. He turned to the right and descended into the dungeon. An animalistic roar erupted from deep inside, sparked by his rage upon finding that his prisoner had escaped. There was no doubt in his mind where he would find her. Immediately, he turned around and headed for the throne room.

There were two Gerudo guards unconscious on the way, as well as mini moblins was their heads split wide open. The two stalfos he appointed and personally trained to guard his throne were missing from the door way and the big red wooden doors were wide open. He walked at a casual pace down the hallway to the door and hid his limp. He was bleeding though from his sword wounds and where the shrapnel had pierced his flesh. He turned into the room, and there she was resting across _his _throne, not a single bloodstain left on her and she was completely lucid.

She smiled deviously when he walked through the door. "I see my army has really taken a toll on you."

"What is the meaning of this?" He shouted and stepped forward. Each step became easier to take, and he couldn't tell if it was from adrenaline or anger.

"I'm taking over Hyrule. I'm keeping you safe," She explained.

"You are a fool. This is my Hyrule!" He found it easier to raise his wounded arm, and shot a spark of dark energy at her. It bounced off of a force field he had not seen. He raised his other arm and fired off a bigger sphere of dark energy that not only pierced her shield, but knocked overhis throne with her in it. She screamed, but stood up immediately. "I am going to kill you!" He yelled.

"I may not have the Master Sword but I am still able to beat you!" She shouted, and waved her hands in front of her. First her left, then right, and then left again. Waves of dark energy rolled in his direction. There was no way around it or under it. He braced himself but the impact only caused him to stumble. The power he felt radiating from her should have knocked him over in such a weakened state. What was going on?

"Master Sword? So your time is not that different from mine. Tell me, now, what of Link?" He asked, slightly calmer since she could not sit in his throne.

She drew her sword. "I killed him."

He laughed cruelly. It echoed around the empty room and stuck her like rusty knife. "That's impossible."

"You did it, didn't you? That's why you have the full Triforce, isn't it? Did you seal him in the sacred realm like you had planned the entire time?" She asked in her cocky tone.

"Why did you heal me?" He asked, avoiding her insulting questions. He waved his hand to make his dark energy sword appear. He needed to know who she was. She did not exist in his realm, but something made him feel she had been important to his other self in her realm.

"Because when I beat you, I want to know I didn't have any help," She admitted.

So she would not deny it. "Then let me show you just how foolish you are."

They ran at each other and their swords met with a clash and a blinding light. Normally, his sword would have cut through hers, but she concentrated her energy into her weapon, making it possible to repel his magic. They thrust forward and used the momentum to jump back from each other and land on their feet. He fired at her with dark energy and she swung her sword which bounced it back at him. It was only a distraction though as he then came at her from the other side. It was a pattern that continued relentlessly back and forth.

He swung at her from the side and she brought up her arm so that it was blocked by her bracer. It was too late when she noticed his hand come around and snatch her main-hand arm. He twisted her arm around to the point of breaking. She spun around to relieve the pressure on her arm. With her back to him, he shoved the sword through her stomach.

She gasped. Instinctively, she tried to heal the wound but the sword remained inside of her. It emanated such a corrupt aura that her healing abilities were ineffective. The pain was paralyzing. More than anything else it burned.

He leaned over with his sword through her stomach up to its hilt and hissed in her ear. "Now, your Hyrule, is _mine_." He slid his hand down her arm, evading thoughts of how soft and strong she was, and took her weapon from her limp fingers. He chucked it across the room then put his free arm around her throat. All of the fight was gone from her. He savored her moment of weakness. "I will end your life quickly, if you manage to tell me everything I want to know before you die." She was quiet for too long, so he added, "Or I could drain your powers and watch you slowly bleed to death on the floor."

She visibly swallowed and looked over at him with her yellow eyes. Even in her realm, where he had trusted her more than anyone else, she had never been this close to him. His smell was intoxicating and his muscles were strong. It made her regret starting this deceptive plan to begin with. The plan that got her in this situation just to realize she would be losing him all over again. No matter what, she had to tell him. Even if he still killed her, at the very least she could die with the burden of failure lifted from her shoulders. She put her hands near where the weapon exited her stomach. Her hands were very cool compared to the area of the wound. "You wanted to know what happened to you? And to Link and Zelda?"

Her voice was weak and fragile. He smirked. Finally, she was giving in. "Yes. Tell me everything."

"After you, or he, obtained the Triforce of Power you began to build an army of minions. You, or he, kept me around to add my attack enhancing and healing abilities. Even as you think now, it was a great asset. We won several battles because of me, until the final one. That stupid boy and his idiotic princess. I was there when it happened. The castle collapsed, that's why it looks so different. They fled as far as the market before I stopped them. Then, you showed up… as Ganon. I took on Zelda in a battle between light and dark. But I failed. Zelda's death was within my grasp when Link struck me down with the Master Sword."

She took a minute to breathe. Speaking was becoming more and more difficult. "One cut form his blade was like death itself. I cannot fathom how you had lasted against it for so long. Then, Zelda zapped the rest of my energy and they turned to you. I tried to reach out to you, to boost your magic so you could stand, but I wasn't strong enough." Even with as little energy she had left, tears fell from her eyes. The memory was clear as if it was happening before her eyes again. The corruption of his energy sword was spreading through her torso. Her veins pulsed with a dark purple energy. It hurt, and at the same time it felt like nothing as it slowly ate away at her life force. "They took your body and banished you to the Sacred Realm."

Angrily, he asked, "If you were trying to protect me, then why are you still alive? You should have died for me." It explained a lot, like her insignia and her selfish desire. He had felt the void in that realm that was left because the Triforce was sealed away again, but could never have imagined why. He had never seen himself losing to Link. It shocked and angered him to know that he had, even if it had not actually been him. Was it possible that he could still lose? Was she the key to winning?

"I took the remaining minions that were loyal to you and retreated. When I was stronger, I extracted revenge and took over Hyrule in your name, waiting for you to return. I waited so long," She said, her voice filled with sorrow. "When you came into my life again I needed to do everything within my power to keep you alive, even if it meant defeating you and breaking you from wanting to conquer the world. I refused to fail a second time. I'm so sorry."

He did not know what to say. In his time he had never had such a loyal minion. Most of them were loyal out of fear or tradition, but she did it because she wanted to. "I am stronger and wiser than the man you served. I will kill Link and Zelda. I will have my wish made for ultimate power."

"I know," She whispered and struggled not to close her eyes. "I have a compromise. Humor me."

"Speak, quickly."

"Allow me to work with you again. Please?" She asked.

"You're not quite so intimidating when you're weak and dying," He mocked.

"Ganondorf, I can serve you faithfully, I swear it. You need me. I need you." She pleaded, wasting her energy. It was useless if he would not let her serve him again.

He was curious and somewhat beside himself. What did she mean? Was this some trick? Did it matter? If she betrayed him, he could beat her again and kill her. There were a lot of advantages to a union with this woman. With the power of the Triforce he could greatly increase her magic strength. Most importantly, he wanted Hyrule for himself. "I want Hyrule. Only I am powerful enough to deserve it. You will give it to me. You have no other options."

He watched with a malicious grin as she struggled over her pride. Somehow, he knew her struggle: power, or life? He also knew that, for her, the answer was easy. "Fine."

"Can you heal yourself, Ganondora?" He asked, bracing her with a hand on her waist.

Just his touch leaked some of his power into her. She nodded. "Slowly," She replied, as if reading his thoughts. He drew the weapon back and watched the corruption retreat from her body. She began returning to her normal color. Once the weapon was fully removed, she dropped to her knees with her hand over her wound. It bled for several minutes before she was able to heal it completely. When it was over, she breathed heavily. She was still weak but able to recover. She never wanted to be that close to death again.

"Call off your army," He ordered.

She stood up one foot at a time. He was staring her down, and it made her feel small and insignificant. Only he had ever been able to do that. It was time to retrain herself to obey, instead of give orders. It was going to take a lot of work. "Tell me something." She added, "Please."

"What?" He asked, impatiently.

"You haven't collected the remaining pieces of the Triforce. I will gladly devote all of my power to helping you do this, but please tell me if you knew of me in your realm. Tell me my part in your plan."

"You assume correctly. Link has awakened the final sage so now I await his final attack," He explained. "There was one like you, strong, but not quite so powerful in sorcery. She was worthy of leading my armies, but now she is the Spirit sage and works against me!" He clenched his fist and shook it in front of her face. "Will you do the same?"

Cautiously, she put a slender hand around his large fist and pulled it down slowly. "I will take her life for you, Ganondorf. I will break into the realm or the temple, wherever I must go, to eliminate the traitor. I shared a similar destiny as her, but I would never betray you." She decided not to push her luck with any further questions. "I await your orders."

"Call off your army. We will make our two worlds one. Twice the land, twice the population—"

"Twice the power," She finished. They looked at each other. They were not equals yet, but she was determined to win him over.

The battle had not yet been decided when they arrived in the field again. The armies, seeing their leaders walking together without fighting, ceased their attacks. The truce was explained, and she sent half of her remaining army home and kept the rest to defend the castle. As her minions dispatched, she began to heal what was left of his army and revitalize their energy.

He commanded his soldiers to return home to rest, or their shifts at their stations. This battle had extended a lot of energy, but hopefully they still had some time before Link showed up for their final battle. What was he going to do with her though? Had he tamed her? She acted like she was or had she used him as a pawn in her game? What was her ultimate goal? If he continued to treat her like a prisoner he may breach their truce. If he trusted her enough to allow her into the castle, he could be walking into a trap. Obviously, a dungeon cell was not going to hold her anyway. Despite how much he loathed to admit it the castle would need to be her new home. As his soldiers passed him, he noticed the wounds were healing on their own and not a single minion appeared weary or worn. He had not noticed her energy waves while he was so lost in thought. She certainly was putting on a good show. When the final soldier left the field, and only the dead remained, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder to break her from concentration.

She flinched. Then she was paralyzed with fear. When she realized there was no danger, she turned to see the hand on her shoulder belonged to an arm that led to him. "Yes?" She asked, and then added, "My lord?"

He moved his hand away and beckoned her to follow him. They entered the market place, busy with his and her minions. "It's necessary for you to remain in the castle for now. You have proven to be a very capable healer but I must test your ability in battle."

"I understand," She said. Slipping into a servant mentality was easier than she thought it would be, especially when she allowed herself to enjoy the powerful aura that excreted from his every pore. Simply walking beside him was intoxicating.

He led her to his practice room safely inside the castle walls. He picked up his great sword and turned to her. "Attack me."

"You don't mean that," She said, shocked.

"Don't question me. Attack me without the aid of your abilities," He ordered.

She did as he instructed. With no special boosts or powers, she drew her weapon and swung fiercely at him.

He could tell she was holding back though. "What happened to your anger? Pretend like you want to kill me."

There was such rage inside of her that such a request was easy for her to comply with. Her aim became more accurate. Within minutes she successfully avoided his defenses and struck at his back side with more force than she had intended. His leather armor prevented the wound from being very deep, but even a thin slice from a sword could sting. Immediately, she tried healed it back up.

He was impressed by her speed, her ruthlessness, and again her ability to heal within seconds. The cut had taken him by surprise, but as quickly as the pain had appeared it was gone again. He straightened and turned back to her. "Very good. Now with your enhancement on both of us, we will battle again."

At his command, she emanated her powers in waves around them, concentrating on their life forces. Her energy provided them with boosts in strength, speed, and even the effectiveness of their weapons and armor.

He could feel the sensation immediately, like an inferno erupting from his core and burning forth. The sensation surged through his nerves like lightening. His muscles relaxed but he felt stronger. He lashed out at her and she dodged with surprising speed, twice as fast as before. She returned the attack swiftly and moved like a blur.

She had somehow predicted his first attack. Whether it was because she knew him very well or it was some sort of side effect of her powers, she could not be sure. She purposefully waited until the last second and moved over just far enough for the sword to skim her arm. Then she retaliated with a quickness that surprised even her.

His weapon moved to dodge like it was merely an extension of his own arm. He sparred with her until he realized they were so evenly matched that they would wear out before landing an attack on each other. "Stop!" He ordered.

She abruptly complied and sheathed her weapon. The boosted powers receded and she returned to normal. He could immediately feel the difference when the enhancement died away. He felt a bit sore afterward, as if he had over extended his muscles. That feeling also disappeared, most likely a result of her healing ability. He smiled, returned his weapon to the rack, and turned to exit without a word.

She stood there waiting for some type of praise or criticism. What she really wanted to hear was unrealistic, but she would have settled for something simple. "Did I pass?" She asked, impatiently.

He turned back to her just as he reached the doorway. He looked at her, and the first name in his head was Nabooru. He had to consciously remind himself that she was not her. He remembered that she was loyal to him like no one had ever been. "If you were not worthy I would have killed you," He explained.

That was sort of uplifting to hear. She bowed at the waist. "Thank you." Why would she have expected anything to be different?

It took several days for their armies to split evenly. She had handled most of it, keeping in mind that his castle needed the most defenses because of the impending attack. It really felt like she had gone backward in time. By the end of the third day her nerves were shot with anxiety and worry that she could not celebrate the completion of her task. No matter how much she told herself this time would be different, a lingering doubt convinced her that she was doomed to fail again. It made her want to curl up until it was all over, ignore the fact she had given herself the responsibility of protecting him. What if he would began to rely on her, just like before, and she could not fulfill his demands?

On top of reorganizing their soldiers he made her practice with him three times a day for an hour so they could learn to work together. The feeling of his powers being multiplied was so fantastic there was nothing to compare it to. Being so powerful made him happily arrogant and invincible. Yet, he practiced so he could learn to control it.

Even though it was practice, sometimes they became more bloody and violent than necessary. She had to prove herself so each time he struck her, she struck back twice as hard. He had become very efficient at fighting with her enhancement assisting him in only a week's time. Some sort of hidden rage was unleashed when fighting her because of all the ways she reminded him of Nabooru. He always swung with the intent to kill. That she was still alive was a testament to her ability. She was the best sparring partner he had found in a long time.

He was forcing her back one step at a time with his vicious and wildly accurate swings. No matter how she boosted herself to gain an advantage. He struck with such strength she nearly lost her weapon every time she blocked. Dodging his assault was wearing her down. She gave way to his destructive power. She was pinned against the wall and his size, along with his continuous swinging, did not permit an opening to escape.

He could not put a hand on her while she was still evading him. He could sense her speed picking up and despite how hard and fast he pushed himself, her weapon remained in her hand. She was cheating. But he was faster and stronger and she would pay for trying to trick him. He left no opportunities for an attack as he smashed his sword into hers. It took all of her strength to fight him back from slicing through her torso. Her energy spiked again when she tried to dig for more power to boost herself. He could not allow it. He pulled back from his attack and she took the opening he created. She lunged forward and spun into a middle attack. He grasped her arm and threw her over his head and back to the ground. The impact of the fall was cushioned by her barrier, but he had only done this to gain a moment to remove her weapon. He stepped on to her sword and slashed downward at her chest, forcing her to release her weapon and roll to safety. He sent orbs of dark energy at her quickly and picked up her sword as she dodged them. He continued to assault the disarmed woman. For a small amount of time she was able to block using her bracers. He swung ruthlessly, knocking her back several feet many times by sheer force alone until she was against the wall. There was only so little she could do for so long to survive. With each successful attack she bled and her power weakened. Not only did it affect her, he noticed he was slowing down and losing power as well. As he lost momentum, he realized how wounded she had become. He could strike her down easily, but that did not mean she was weak. He had pushed himself farther and harder than ever before.

"Stop!" She shouted. Her voice wasn't begging, but it was scared, as if she feared he was lost to his rage or power. He slammed the point of each weapon into the wall on either side of her head and they stuck in the cracks of the stone. He gripped her throat in his hand, tore her away from the wall and shoved her down to the floor where he straddled her. His energy sword appeared in his hand and he drove it through her arm. She shrieked in pain and wriggled under his weight in an attempt to free herself. "Get off of me!" She shouted angrily.

While he held her still he looked in her wild eyes and felt that animal inside again. There was a long way to go before she would be fully tame. "You cheated."

She wrapped her hands around his arm that held her down. "You would have done the same to gain an advantage, if it was your power." She strained to speak through the pain and the pressure against her throat.

He twisted his blade impaled through her flesh and she gritted her teeth to fight back another scream. Maybe she was right, but she did not need to know that. "You will remember this punishment for the next time you have any bright ideas."

"Yes, fine." She managed, trying to breathe.

"Yes, what?" He growled, squeezing her neck tighter.

The sarcasm could not carry through her pain as she added, "My _lord_."

He ripped his weapon out of her shoulder and it disappeared. He held out a hand and she took it to stand. She put a hand over her shoulder to heal it more quickly and her other hand came up to her throat.

He rotated his shoulders and stretched his arms. The only side effect of her abilities was pushing the body beyond its natural limits. It could be quite exhausting but he was growing more accustomed to it. "I shall slaughter Link with these new powers." He said, and clenched his fist in the air.

"You look like you're ready," She agreed.

"I don't need your approval," He said and turned from her.

"Why are you so stubborn?" She yelled.

"Why are you so persistent?" He snapped, walking out of the room.

"Because I— I need—you wouldn't understand!" She stammered.

He stopped and turned around. He looked at her and the hurt expression on her face. "What are you talking about, woman? Remember your place. Remember that you are here only to insure my victory against the Hero of Time. Nothing more." As he spoke, he watched the expression on her face sink even more.

She absorbed his words. The hope she had felt in the hole in her chest was shattered. True, she had a good chance of keeping him alive, but anything beyond that seemed impossible. In a voice solemn and quiet she said, "Yes, my lord."

"Good." He turned from her again and left to get some rest.

Rest did not come for a long time. His thoughts were plagued by the past; by Nabooru. He had been such a fool to trust her with so much. To think he had wanted her to rule his golden land beside him, as a Queen, and worst of all bear his children! It infuriated him. What was worse, he struggled with the same feelings and thoughts now that Ganondora was there. Only once the battle with Link was won would he know the truth.

She also took some time to rest in her small servant's quarters. It was nothing like her personal chambers in her castle, but she would suffer anything if she could just make him see. This Nabooru had to suffer for what she had done to him. No one deserved to live for betraying him that way. She could only prove her true loyalty through the battle with Link. Maybe then he would be able to accept her in the way she desired..

The anticipation of training that day filled her with dread. He had almost killed her twice. She was just finishing up with her armor and tying on her sword when she heard the commotion. She exited the training room and saw him there with Zelda. She was trapped inside a sphere, just like she had been. All the noise had been the guards rallying to the front of the castle to prevent Link's entry.

"Ganondora!" He shouted, and she ran to catch up to him. Already, she was fueling his power and enhancing her own defense.

"I am here," She said, and they entered a long room at the top of the castle.

"Link is on his way. You will go to the entrance and support my minions. Do not allow him to reach this room before I have finished," He ordered and pointed to the door.

A suspicious look crossed her face and her eyes lingered on Zelda. She flashed back to her fight with her in the other dimension. "What are you planning?" She asked.

He glared at her. "Your only concern is your mission. Do not waste more time!" He ordered. He turned from her and back to Zelda, dropping the sphere that held her prisoner. He pulled her to her feet by her arm and shook her. "Will you willingly give up the Triforce of Wisdom or would you sacrifice your life instead?"

Ganondora returned the glare before heading for the front of the caste. As she left the room she overheard him threaten her. How could she have thought anything else would go on? She really needed to clear her head or else she might fail, again.

Link was already fighting his way through the minions. It was best to conceal herself for now, so she moved to a room off from the main chamber and focused. She felt the life forces of all of the soldiers and enhanced their powers and speed and defense. She could even feel Link's. He was just as strong as she remembered. She drew on his force to feed her strength and spread it back to her forces. His sword, the Master Sword, was breaking through her powers, just like before. This time she was ready, and she dug deeper to boost the soldier's defense by three times. If nothing else, the extra effort it took to strike his foes down would wear him out.

"I will never forfeit this power to you. I will die for it willingly," Zelda said defiantly.

Though her words were brave there was only fear in her eyes. At first, he gave her a chance to relent and change her mind. From the palm of her hand she blasted a beam of pure light energy which he had to release her to dodge. She disappeared behind a pillar. "You are weak from hiding for so many years, princess. Give up. Give me that which I desire. I will spare you."

"I will not be your prisoner. I will not be your slave. To sit by and do nothing while you corrupt this beautiful world is worse than death!" She stepped around the corner and shot another beam of energy at him. He battled it back with a beam of dark energy and with his powers enhanced by Ganondora, there was no match. He pushed her beam back and the darkness struck her with such force she was thrown back. He rushed her before she could rise to her feet again. With his energy sword in hand he slashed her arm right through the bone. Her limb collapsed on the ground and she screamed so sweetly.

"Then you leave my no choice!" He ran her through the chest with his sword and then slashed outward. Her body went limp and the power of the Triforce formed in its recognizable triangular form in front of him. He snatched it from midair and absorbed it into him. "Finally!" He laughed, admiring it shine on the back of his hand. It was time to join Ganondora and his minions on the first floor. He lifted the princess's body and took it with him. Seeing it would certainly shake Link's courage. He arrived on the second floor and watched the end of the battle from the shadows of the hallway.

Link did not emerge unscathed. When the last minion of five hundred fell, he was breathing heavy. It would take little effort to kill him in that condition. Luckily for him, the sages had helped dispatch the other half. Ganondorf emerged, as if waiting for the perfect time to appear. He smirked at Link as he held a body in pink rags over the banister from the second floor. He tossed the bloody carcass and it hit the floor with a thud. Link gasped, and ran forward.

From where she was, when Link moved the matted golden hair off of the face, she could see it was Zelda. "You monster!" Link shouted.

Ganondorf held up his hand with his palm facing him, displaying the Power and Wisdom piece of the Triforce on the back of his hand. He cackled. "Now, boy, I only require the piece of courage which you still hold within you. Hand it over and I will spare you. Only I have the strength to handle this power. It is too much for a weakling like you."

Link spun around as Ganondora emerged from her hiding spot. "Nabooru?" He questioned in shock. "Why aren't you with the other sages?"

The thought of playing along crossed her mind, but she was too proud. "My name is Ganondora and though I may resemeble her I am not like Nabooru. I will kill you myself if you do not comply with his request," She threatened and unsheathed her sword. There was so much power flowing through her and Ganondorf that an aura of purple appeared around them.

"If you are with him then you are an enemy," He said, unsheathing the Master Sword.

The sight of the blade made her skin crawl. There was no way to describe the type of pain a person of dark power felt when cut by it. They ran at each other, her with miraculous speed, and their weapons met with an explosion of light. Ganondorf fired off orbs of energy, forcing her opponent to break off and dodge the magical attack. She pursued him as he continued to run from the aerial attacks. Finally, Link was hit and knocked down and she struck at him as well. But suddenly his shield was in the way and her sword met it with an awful clang. The moment it hit, she jumped out of the way of any retaliation.

The shield had served another purpose. When he stood up he had his bow in his hands and had the string back. An arrow made of pure energy was ready to fly at Ganondorf, but he had been prepared. With his enhanced speed, he easily moved out of the way to safety behind a rock pillar. The light was blinding, but he remained unharmed.

Ganondora was on Link again with a flurry of vicious attacks, forcing him back steps at a time. Her strength was more than he could stand in his weakened form, but his courage, and the Triforce, helped him stand his ground. His endurance was incredible. He had fought through hundreds of minions to get this far and he barely seemed fazed anymore. Perhaps he was also receiving assistance from an outside source. She remained within her realm of comfort to avoid being wore down too quickly, but Link was still able to find an opening to try to hit Ganondorf with the arrows of light. Each time she thwarted his attempts, and he was becoming increasingly frustrated.

He focused his attack on her now. As Ganondora began to lose ground she built her energy back up from the depths of her power and fought back even harder. Link's skill was good enough to avoid her attacks. She landed in close to him and swung. He was able to jump back, but not quick enough. He landed with a grunt as the dark powers burned his pure energy and he bled slightly. It had not been a deep cut but any wound infused with dark energy, just like the Master Sword, was intensified.

He was down on a knee but she knew there was no time to catch her breath. She ran at him and attempted to strike again, but he rolled out of the way and came back up swinging. He changed his attack. He threw down his shield in the center of the room and equipped his bow in that hand. It was much easier for him to take advantage of any opening to fire an arrow, but not at Ganondorf, at her instead. He now knew she was the source of the dark energy, and the arrow would be just as effective.

She was on the defensive, dodging and ducking out of the way of arrows. As the light drew near, it stung, but only until it passed by her entirely. She grew angry, which only intensified her powers. The aura around her grew even larger, now like a sphere that surrounded her. Her power was at its highest and at her limit. He ran at her and she was quickly on the offensive again. Her sword came swiftly and her attacks were successful. She slashed him over the chest and his arms, until he fell.

Ganondorf felt his victory was within reach. Her powers were greater than he had ever seen her reach before and Link was pitiful against them. He cried with every wound. She kicked him in the stomach and sliced him across his shoulder. He was on his knees and still fighting, when suddenly an orange light appeared in the door way. It was a thin flat beam and it hit Ganondora. She pushed back against it and turned to see who had interrupted them. And the person she saw was herself.

Whatever power she was using against her did not burn like the light energy did. Instead, it felt like her energy was being sucked dry. She walked backward, trying to move out of range of the beam to no avail. The enhancements to her fighting abilities slowly disappeared, and whatever was left she sacrificed to keep Ganondorf stronger.

"Nabooru!" Ganondorf shouted. He immediately jumped down to the first floor.

"I got here as fast as I could Link! Hurry and use the light arrows against her!" She shouted, before a black orb of dark energy as tall as her struck her and sent her flying against a wall. The woman struggled to get back to her feet, but Ganondorf rushed her and had her in his grasp.

"I will not allow you to cost me this victory!" His sword of dark energy appeared in his hand and he spared no time in gloating as he ran it through her. At the same time, he heard a scream, her same scream, from behind him.

Ganondora's powers began to return, but not enough before Link used the arrow of light on her. It passed through her arm and she collapsed to her knees as she shouted. The pain was like a white hot poker scalding her soul. Link quickly approached her. "I will spare you if you help me defeat Ganondorf."

"I'd rather die with my loyalty and pride intact, hero," She said angrily, trying to get to her feet. She swung at him, but not fast enough. He impaled her stomach with the Master Sword. The pain was double that of the light arrow. She tried not to, but she screamed with horrific pain as she fell back on the wall. Link yanked his weapon back and she slumped down, holding her hand over her bleeding wound. The sword drained her entirely of her energy and she was very weary. The pain was still so intense that sleep was not an option. She smirked, as Ganondorf came up behind Link and nearly struck him down by surprise.

Ganondorf was in shock. Part of him was sympathizing with the immense pain she was experiencing. She had done all she could, and now it was his turn. He would need to do it without her help. But as he turned and approached Link from behind, he did not feel completely without assistance. What little energy she had, the bit of darkness still inside, fought to boost his abilities.

The excitement of the fight was enough to keep her eyes open with little struggle. Any energy she might have been able to use to heal herself was exhausted in helping Ganondorf. Link was already worn out, but if Nabooru was not dead then he could come back. She watched as his wounds were slowly closing up. While they were both distracted, she struggled to get to her knees and then her feet. Each step caused a glop of blood to burst out from her wound. The distance was longer than she had realized. She winced against the pain, but each step was becoming easier as the pain from the Master Sword wore off. The only thing she had to fear was too much blood loss. As she neared, Nabooru began to stir. The woman was on her front, so Ganondora dropped on her back with her knee in her spine. Her sword came around the woman's neck.

She shouted as the knee stabbed her spine. Dizziness still overwhelmed her from hitting her head. A sword came across her throat as her own voice spoke to her. She had seen the woman from the sacred realm and despised her for everything she had done.

"This is for betraying the man who did everything for you, stupid bitch!" She held the woman by her hair and sawed the blade through flesh and bone, until the head came free from the neck.

Ganondorf, still with an advantage over Link, had thrown him against the wall from the second floor. He delighted in seeing him painfully fall the twenty feet to the ground. He had not noticed Ganondora had moved from her spot, and a blood stain remained where she had been lying. She threw something from where she stood and it hit Link. It rolled and when he realized what it was, Ganondorf laughed maniacally.

Link was dizzy as the thing rolled toward him. Once his vision cleared and he realized it had hair, he was shocked back to his senses. He stood and quickly stepped backward from it. He looked to where Ganondora had been and she was not there. Instead, she was standing beside the headless body of Nabooru. The evil woman was slowly sinking to her knees again while laughing. "I told you, I would kill her." For a minute, while Link recovered from shock, she took some of her power back to heal her wound so that it could stop bleeding. Her show had created the brief opening she needed to take some energy without putting Ganondorf in danger. It was unexpectedly difficult to heal up since the wound had been caused by the Master Sword, but it stopped bleeding nonetheless. She was back on her feet, and returned her full focus to enhancing Ganondorf.

From the second floor he blasted large orbs of energy at Link, like the ones he had used on Nabooru. "Fight me, fool!" Link was on the defense again, flinging the orbs back at Ganondorf with his sword. He decreased the distance between them by falling to his feet on the first floor and continuing to walk toward him at a slow pace. It was impossible for him to be hit, or miss returning the orbs while Ganondora's powers flowed through him.

Link lunged for his shield coated in a thick mirror. He turned back around before he could be hit by the next orb of energy and absorbed it into the mirror instead. Then, he lured Ganondorf in by continuing to absorb the energy. Each miss infuriated him. Once he was close enough, Link unleashed the energy the mirror had absorbed and used it against his enemy. Expecting retaliation, the hero ran out of the way. Ganondorf had been caught off guard and was momentarily stunned by the amount of dark magic that assaulted him. Link took the opportunity to pull out his bow again.

Ganondora had seen it happen before it actually did. Possibly some strange delirium set on by blood loss and exhaustion. Or she had seen this trick before. Immediately, she moved into action. As Link was pulling out his bow, she ignored the pain and ran directly in front of the hero. The arrow released and struck Ganondora in the chest. The momentum of her run caused her to fall to the ground and slide. As she fell, Link followed through his attack with a strike from the Master Sword. It slashed deeply into her waist, but was intended to be deeper. The fact that she had run for it saved her Link could strike again, he was smashed against the wall by a wave of powerful dark energy. He quickly recovered and rushed at Ganondorf again. When they met, the large man took hold of the Hero with his hands and sent him flying toward the farthest wall, with a black orb of energy to follow up. When Link smacked the wall, he was also pummeled with the orb, and fell to the ground limp.

Ganondorf rushed to the convulsing body of Ganondora. Her whole body was wrought by seizures. This was wrong. It was all going very wrong. She had proven her loyalty beyond a doubt by destroying the traitor so grotesquely. The last thing he expected, especially from her, was to sacrifice her life for him. He had never asked her to die for him. Or had he? Fear froze him momentarily. He shook her and as a result her eyes opened, but they were far from focused. He gripped her face under the chin with his hand. "You are important now more than ever. I can finish this but I need you." Then, he twisted the knife with his words. "Do not fail me again!"

Feeling his dark energy close to her rejuvenated her enough to see clearly. His face was near, and she did not resist putting her hands on his head. It was soft, the way she remembered, but warmer compared to the last time she had touched him. "I told you I wouldn't." She said, slurring.

Obviously, she was damaged, but as long as she was focused long enough for him to finish Link, he would be able to help her heal. He was gentle about laying her on the stone floor again. He could feel his speed increase as he stood and faced Link.

They glared at each other with more than hate or loathing. They wanted the other to die for what they had done. Link was fueled by courage and the need to make the evil man repent for his crimes, for Nabooru's death, and most of all for murdering Zelda. Ganondorf craved revenge for turning his future Queen against him and nearly killing his new one, for making him wait so long for this moment, for denying him the power that was rightfully his. Link was the cause of so many problems, it was only right that he should die for them.

Ganondorf was the first to attack. He ran at Link, appearing weaponless until the last second. When he judged where the hero would attack, the dark energy sword appeared in his hand and he struck him across the arm. The blades clashed together, the sound ringing through the empty room. There were no pauses between attacks. As soon as Ganondorf was wounded he would begin to heal.

It was impossible to tell who was striking who but the blood was flowing. Ganondora watched with dreadful anticipation. There was very little she could do in her state, except for die. As she watched she prepared herself to do just that if it came to it. The light was receding from her body, making it easier to move and focus. Willing herself through the pain by thoughts of failure, she rolled onto her front and onto her knees. Her hand covered her wound, but the blood was thick and heavy. She spared none of her own power to heal herself, as she knew Ganondorf needed it. He was right. She should have died for him before.

Ganondorf impaled Link through his right shoulder, and Link used his left hand to strike his foe again. They were severely weakened as the power of light spread through Ganondorf, and the darkness corrupted Link. But the King of Evil could feel a force within him fight it back. Ganondorf ripped his weapon through Link's chest. He was sprayed by the hero's blood and he savored it. His foe fell in a lump on the floor.

For safety measures, Ganondorf kicked the Master Sword toward the castle entrance, far away from Link. He was only satisfied once he severed the head from the body. He looked at himself, expecting to be bleeding everywhere, but he realized all of his wounds were either healed or still slowly healing. It was a good sign that she was still alive. There was one more thing he needed to do, or it would all be for nothing.

Specks of gold dust appeared above Link's body collecting into the form of the Triforce of Courage. The two pieces he possessed also appeared in front of him, completing the Triforce. Excitement swelled inside him and he immediately reached out to touch it.

The Triforce pulsed with a magnificent golden light. "What is your wish?" The voices of the three goddesses spoke to him in unison.

He was nearly giddy. After a lifetime of waiting it was finally happening. It was so much like the dream he had a thousand times that it did not seem real. "I wish for command of the ultimate power, so much that I can control life and death! Everyone shall fear Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of Evil!"

There was hesitation, but the goddesses' voice came from the Triforce once again. "It is done."

He might not have known it, but she was proudly watching. If he had wished for anything less it would have all been for nothing. Now that he had his wish, now that she had redeemed herself, she could sleep, and so she did.

The Triforce dissolved and returned to him. With it, came an overwhelming nausea and even pain. He gasped for air and fell to his knees. Was it killing him? What was that sensation? He could feel the changes inside, the growth of his power. He gritted his teeth against the blinding pain in his head. After a few minutes that felt like an hour, it died away. He slowly returned to his feet. It was impossible to deny that he was more powerful, but there was something else. He was aware of the recently extinguished life forces in the surrounding area. He could feel how powerful his force was. He could feel how dim Ganondora's was.

He rushed to her and lifted her torso in his arms. Inspection of the wound showed she had tried to heal it, but had not had the energy to do so. Her face was so relaxed and peaceful, not yet void of any color. Her hair was more disheveled than he had ever seen it. He swept some of it from concealing her face. Finally, she was tame.

He felt like a fool more than ever.

With the power bestowed upon him, he restored her life force. He realized that not only could he see it, he could feel it, and he could feel the corrupt and wild nature of her. Her force was different from Nabooru's, but the same as his. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to his chambers.

When her dreams became more lucid she desperately wished she could wake. The scene of Link and Ganondorf battling replayed in her head over and over. They were in the castle, and Zelda had her pinned down with a beam of light power. She was powerless against it. Eventually, the pain she felt from the beam subsided and she felt nothing. She could actually fight against it. She was too late though. No matter how she tried, Link was always the victor.

Then, she opened her eyes. She could see, but was she really seeing? The voice of her personal servant was screaming something, but she was too far away to make out any words. Was she really hearing? She closed her eyes. All of her muscles, even the ones she did not know she had, were sore. With her sense of touch returning, she recognized a bandage binding her waist. She could not be sure if the last memory she recalled was real or not, so she was anxious. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes again to find she was inside her room. With that realization came a large amount of sorrow.

Against her better judgment, she sat up on the side of the bed. Nausea immediately overcame her. Dry saliva filled her mouth and she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. She was able to fight it off. Erika came to her side suddenly. "You should not get up."

"You must tell me what is going on." She said, almost heaving. She gripped Erika's arm and expected the worst.

"I insisted on you coming home to rest. You have been out for days. You need to relax," She insisted, trying to push her back down.

Ganondora resisted with all her might and stood up. "I failed again, didn't I? Didn't I?!" She shouted angrily, growing dizzy. "I killed her. I decapitated her. I did everything I could to prove myself but in the end I lost him." Her stomach turned and her knees quivered, but none of it mattered. Without him, not even she mattered. In a somber tone she added, "I never got to tell him."

"Maybe next time you will learn to not wait so long," A voice came in from the door.

She turned around to the direction the voice came from. Seeing him forced the last bits of the puzzle to fall into place. She remembered Link falling, the Triforce of Courage surrendering itself, and his wish being granted. Suddenly, she dropped and sat on the bed with her eyes glued to his face.

He was very relieved to see her awake again. Even though he had undoubtedly saved her that day, she had been out for a long time. It had worried him that some permanent damage had been done to her life force by the powers of the light. "Leave us," He ordered Erika, and the woman immediately did so. He approached the bed and to cover up his own concern, he said, "She never left your side the entire time. You have a very faithful servant. And so do I."

She looked up at him, thankful for the praise. Nothing could replace the satisfaction she had, knowing she had made the difference between life and death in his battle. "There is nothing that makes me happier, my Lord." His hand was hovering right by his thigh. She wanted to take it, but he made it clear where her place was. Just like before, she would need to be satisfied with that. The energy that radiated from his was exponentially greater than the last time they had been close. It was somehow comforting to her. She felt safe.

"Tell me what it is you have been hiding from me," He ordered.

"I feared if I did, our situation may change. I do not want things to be different between us. Like I said, I'm happy," She said.

"Lies do not please me. Anything less than honesty will change what we have for the worse," He explained with a threat in his tone.

She sighed. He had always known her so well, why would he be any different? "In my time of serving Ganondorf, I had always imagined we could be more. We worked so well together. His was the only personality that quelled my hostile and stubborn nature. I not only believed I could make amends for my failure with you, but that I could make the relationship I always desired a reality." Not until she was finished did she look up at him. The way he looked through her was haunting. His expression was hard to read.

He looked over to make sure the door was closed. There were no life forces on that level. He knelt before her and placed a hand on her face. Kneeling only made him a hair shorter than her sitting form. "You have more than made amends. You have more than proven yourself worthy. You assassinated the traitor. You made my dream possible. I will make your relationship a reality." He said sincerely.

She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you," She whispered, tears coming to her eyes even as she restrained them. He put his arms around her slender body in return. While still in her embrace he slowly turned her and lowered her down to the bed.

"The moment you are able to leave this bed I want you to move your belongings to my castle. It would be easier to show off my future Queen if she lived in the same castle as the King," He proclaimed, sitting on the bed beside her.

Ganondora held his hand gently. She treasured every detail of that moment as she slowly closed her eyes and drifted away. The way he swept her hair from her face, stroked his fingers down her smooth arm, and watched her fall asleep. Her dreams this time were not of her terrible past, but of a beautiful future beside the King of Evil.


End file.
